Something to Live For
by gingersexfairy
Summary: Penelope is an 18 year old outcast, living in the woods near Sleepy Hollow. One day, while hunting in the woods, she crossed the path of the Hessian. That meeting started a tumultuous relationship. Mature! Not meant for innocent eyes! Disclaimer: I do not own Sleepy Hollow in any way, shape, or form (though I wish I owned the Hessian) and will never make money off of this story.
1. Chapter 1

Penelope was a young 18 year old who lived by herself on the outskirts of Sleepy Hollow. The reason she was so far away was that the people of Sleepy Hollow had cast her out, naming her a witch. Penelope didn't really care about that, though. She found her former neighbors to be frightened, ignorant people.

This story starts on a warm, April morning. Penelope walked out of her small home and travelled into the forest to hunt. She had a small rifle in her tiny hands, ready to fire at any second. Her brown hair was cut shorter than normal, and fell in waves around her beautiful face. Penelope wore leather breeches and a green shirt. She wore heavy black boots on her feet, but she walked silently, gracefully moving through the trees like a ghost. She spotted a deer and crouched down, taking aim.

But, just as she was about to fire, a gun shot rang out and the deer fell. Suddenly, a group of soldiers appeared a few meters from Penelope. She sank down into the bushes, her tiny body disappearing in the brush. The soldiers were speaking German…

_Hessian Mercenaries, employed by the British._

Penelope pulled out her hunting knife, ready for a fight.

The soldiers grabbed the deer and walked off, laughing and jabbering on.

Penelope stood up as soon as she knew they were far away, glaring and swearing under her breath. She hadn't found so much as a rabbit in days and then her first meal in almost two weeks was taken by some well-fed German bastards.

Oh, she would get her revenge. At nightfall, she would go to the camp, and steal as much of their food as she could carry.

Little did she realize, she was being watched.


	2. Chapter 2

I rode Daredevil through the forest, ignoring the branches scraping at my armor and grabbing at my hair. The battle was over, my work done. Blood covered my uniform and my pale face. To any bystander, I was a figure of nightmares: The Devil incarnate. I liked the thought of that. Any person I rode by got a flash of my razor sharp teeth in a menacing grin. Nothing pleased me more than striking fear into the hearts of righteous cowards.

I had fought well today. I chopped off over 100 heads today without mercy, the gore only increasing my lust for battle. You could call me a schadenfreude; a man who finds sexual pleasure from separating someone's head from their weak body.

I did not want to go back to that camp full of men who call themselves soldiers, but I knew I had no choice. The Princes who employed me sent me to be with the other Hessian mercenaries. I had no choice but to fight beside those frilly Trottels (morons).

Suddenly, I heard a noise and slowed Daredevil to a walk. There was someone nearby. But who could be out in this part of the woods, so close to a german camp? I dismounted and silently crept closer to the sound of light footsteps.

What I saw shocked and amazed me: A young woman, younger than 20, crouched down in the brush with a rifle in her hand. She was wearing trousers and a shirt; molded perfectly to her curvaceous frame. Her brown hair was cut short.

_What an odd, little thing. _

I had never seen a woman in trousers before, and I have to say, I liked it quite a lot. She was a stunning creature; that much was plain.

Suddenly, a shot rang out and the girl dropped to the forest floor, gripping her gun in her tiny hands.

Her target; a rather well-fed deer, went rigid and fell, the bullet piercing its side.

A few of my pathetic comrades appeared to the left of us, talking and laughing like the idiots they were. I growled silently, angry at them for taking this beauty's meal.

The other Hessians carried off the deer, leaving me and this strange girl alone. She was still unaware of my presence as she got up, made a rude hand gesture in the direction the soldiers went, and stalked off, looking even lovelier in her rage.

I watched her go, then quietly mounted Daredevil and rode after the mercenaries.

As I galloped through the trees, I vowed to myself I would find the girl again.


	3. Chapter 3

I was so angry. How DARE they take my meal from me!

I would make them suffer… Just stealing food from them isn't enough. Since they set up their camp near my home, the woods were cleared of wildlife. I was slowly starving to death because of those german bastards.

They needed to pay for everything they have done to make my life worse.

Hmmmm… how about I kill them! No, no… too risky…

…. I'll burn down the camp! There's a thought! I laugh to myself. Oh they would suffer…

Then I thought some more… No, that's excessive. All they did was steal my food...

THAT'S IT!

I jumped up from my bed in excitement.

I would get some blood-root herb and put it in their food. As soon as they had a couple mouthfuls, they would be violently sick. And while they are running into the woods, I would find their rations and steal as much food as I can carry.

I looked out of the window: it was only mid-day; probably three or four hours till sunset. I grabbed my satchel and a small knife and walked out the door.

I always enjoyed walking through the woods. It was peaceful and the fresh air was invigorating. I had a horse, but I preferred to stroll. It was healthier, and the sun brought color to my pale cheeks.

I could hear the German camp to the left of me. It's amazing I could get any sleep with them in my forest. They had celebrations every night, which meant drunken Germans staggering around. A few days ago, one of them vomited and collapsed on my porch. I had to drag the unconscious soldier back into the woods and then rigorously clean my front steps.

I thought they would leave after a week or two, but no; I just had to live near the front lines. I groaned.

I am so tired of soldiers! When I lived in Sleepy Hollow, every soldier who laid their eyes on me fell in love and never left me alone. Eventually I stopped leaving my house, which led to the beginning of the rumor that I was a witch, responsible for the recent crop failures. Everything went rather quickly after that. A week later, no one was talking to me. A week after that the other townspeople broke into my home in the middle of the night and dragged me out to a trial in the church. Of course the fact I slept naked proved that I was a witch. They sentenced me to be hung that next morning. Thankfully, I was able to escape, with the help of one of the American soldiers. His name was James, and he was a very dear friend of mine. He pursued me romantically for a while, but soon realized we were better as companions.

There is no jail in Sleepy Hollow, so they brought me back to my home and put a guard at the door. James knocked out the guard and we ran to the woods together. A week later, though, his platoon left Sleepy Hollow. We didn't write to each other so I could remain in hiding.

It's been three years now, and I haven't heard anything from him.

I sighed, coming back to the present. I saw a patch of blood-root near a fallen tree and pulled them out of the ground. Once I got home, I ground the plant up and rolled it in a cloth.

Only one hour till sunset. I sighed and lay down on my bed. Sometimes, solitude had its downsides. I hated not having someone to talk to. All my other friends abandoned me as soon as the rumor that I was a witch starting going around the town. All of the men who were interested in me were soldiers in James' troupe. I had no one to talk to but myself. I could feel tears threatening to fall, and I took a deep breath, willing them to disappear and my mood to improve. I thought about how I would be getting sweet revenge tonight.

_Maybe this is the reason I'm alone? I could go talk to them, or dress as a guy and spar with them! Not torment them! _

I shook that thought out of my head. No. They are the enemy anyways…

_Although, they are only here because they were paid to fight in this war. _

NO! I will not think that way! I am strong on my own!

I looked at the clock: 9:30. It's time.

I smiled and went to my closet. I had discovered recently that red worked better to keep me hidden. It was a strange discovery, but a good one. I had red leather pants and a red tunic that would work perfectly.

Another perk of solitary was that I didn't have to conform to social norms like wearing a dress.

I slipped out the door, armed with my sword and a pistol.

The walk to the camp was easy. It was amusing to me that the Hessians thought they had chosen a hidden clearing to stay, but I could find it blindfolded. They were about half a kilometer from my home.

I stood at the edge of the clearing, watching the revelry, which had already begun. Most of the men were in various states of undress; all of them with bottles in their fists.

I spied the cook, standing over a giant cauldron full of stew. I smiled and sank back into the shadows. I got as close as I could and crouched down, pulling the root out of my satchel. It was time. The cook left for a moment and I ran out, dumping the blood-root in the stew and stirring it.

Suddenly, one of the soldiers saw me.

"Ey! Es ist ein Mädchen!" The Hessian slurred, pointing at me. My eyes widened and I scampered into the woods in a panic. I could hear the soldier blundering after me, yelling in German. I climbed the nearest tree and crouched in the branches, breathing heavily. The soldier circled the tree and attempted to climb it, but his drunkenness prevented him from doing so. He fell to the forest floor, cursing. I heard a horse whinny nearby and sank back farther, the leaves shielding me from any unfriendly eyes. The rider stopped under the tree and spoke to the drunken man in German… _Another Hessian…_ My knuckles were turning white from gripping the tree, trying desperately to stay hidden. My breathing slowed when the rider yelled something at the soldier and sent him on his way. But the rider didn't leave. He circled the tree, looking up. I couldn't get a good look at him but I didn't dare move. I looked up and saw a better branch to crouch on. I started to climb silently, stopping every time the Hessian rode by. Just as I was about to hoist myself onto my destination, a branch snapped and something grabbed my ankle. I looked down and my heart stopped as I stared into a pair of ice-blue eyes.

**Author's note: I hoped to post this sooner, but writers block happened.. thank you so much to my reviewers**


	4. Chapter 4

At first, I did not believe that drunken fool's rambling about a beautiful girl in the tree. But then, I heard the snap of a branch and looked heart jumped. It was the girl. Grinning to myself, I sent the bastard on his way with a snarl and turned Daredevil towards the girl saw me and started to climb higher in a panic, probably thinking I would kill or rape her. I began to circle the tree, studying it carefully.

I had to find a way to climb up there without her seeing or hearing me. I decided to climb up on her left; there were a lot more branches on that side that were far enough apart that I could climb up undetected. I carefully rose up on daredevil's back and jumped to the tree, climbing up silently. Daredevil continued to ride around the tree as I climbed up to her. Just as I was under her, she stopped to catch her breath and I made my move. I grabbed her tiny ankle, trying hard not to laugh when she whipped her head around in next event happened too fast. One minute she was staring at me, quivering with fear, the next the branch under her broke and she fell. I tried to catch her, but I also lost my balance.

We both tumbled to the forest floor, the girl landing on top of me. She was light and tiny, but she still knocked the wind out of me. I heard a snap and a muffled shriek of pain. I sat up in alarm, lifting the girl up and laying her down next to me. Her ankle was bent at an odd angle, and her face was screwed up in pain as she whimpered quietly. "Let me examine it." I said, trying to sound gentle. The girl's head snapped up and she tried to get up and run, but fell back down, gasping in agony. I carefully pushed her onto her back and kneeled down in front of her, taking her delicate ankle in my gloved hands. She cried out, tears spilling out of her eyes.

"Broken" I muttered, looking up at her. She sighed in annoyance. "Why do bad things always happen to me?"

"Why were you in a tree?"

"I was hiding."

"Why?"

"Because I…"

"You what?"

At that moment, one of my comrades ran into the clearing and was violently sick. Soon, more joined him, vomiting loudly all around us. I carefully lifted the girl in my arms and went deeper into the forest, Daredevil following. "

Where do you live?"

She didn't answer. I grew annoyed at her silence.

"Where!" I said, louder. She still didn't answer so I threw her to the ground, ignoring her scream of pain, and stood over her, gripping the collar of her shirt and shaking her.

"Tell me now!" I yelled.

"NEVER!" She screamed, taking me by surprise. Normally, people screamed, shit their pants, told me what I needed to know, or all three at once. But she was fearless. I could feel my arousal growing… this girl's anger made me want to fuck her against the tree with no restraint till she couldn't even beg for more.

"Well how am I to treat you, girl?"

"You won't." She said, attempting to stand up, but fell down again.

"Well who is? You clearly can't heal yourself." I said, snorting.

"You'd be surprised. I am very talented with herbs." She said haughtily.

"But how are you going to drag yourself back to your home?" I said, laughing.

"I will manage."

"No you won't." I couldn't stand her stubbornness any longer so I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder, ignoring her flailing arms and leg.

"Since you won't tell me where you live, then I am taking you back to my tent. Now halt die klappe!" I roared. The girl shut up completely, going limp.

Soon we arrived at the empty camp. "You've cleared the base entirely! How?" I asked.

"I put bloodroot in the stew they made with the deer they killed today. The deer that would have been my first meal in over a week!" she growled."You are a clever, little thing." I said, laughing.

"It's too bad you didn't get a bit of that stew as well" she snarled.

I laughed even harder."Is that supposed to be a threat? Without me you'd either be still in that tree or raped by that drunken lout!"She sighed. My camp was set up away from the rest of the mercenaries. It wasn't anything special: just a tent with a bedroll and a table with maps and a few bottles of beer.

I lay her on my bedroll and carefully pushed up her trouser leg to examine her leg by the light of a lamp. It was swollen and bent slightly to the left. I pulled off my gloves and armor until I stood in my black trousers and shirt. I bandaged her ankle, watching her wince as my rough hands clumsily wrapped the cloth around her tiny ankle.

"You will stay here tonight. It is not wise for you to move in your condition. I will be outside, so do not think of running off. Verstehen?"She nodded silently. It wasn't much longer till she fell asleep.

I looked down at her lovely face and sighed. There was something about her that just captivated me. I sighed and sat down, propping myself against a tree. Sighing, I focused on the tent flap. Even if I wanted to, I would not sleep tonight. Not with her so near.


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing I saw when I woke up was the canopy of a tent.

In a panic, I sat up and tried to stand, but my ankle throbbed painfully. I dropped back down and rolled up my trouser leg; my ankle was bandaged rather expertly. Just at that moment, the events of last night came back to me: everything from spiking the stew, to meeting the strange mercenary with the ice-blue eyes, who set my ankle and looked at me in such an odd way.

It's almost as if it was… love?

No! No, that couldn't possibly be it; more like… fascination. But why?What is so fascinating about me? I'm a poor girl living alone who decided to get revenge on some soldiers who killed a deer that I hoped would be my next few meals.

The tent flap opening startled me out of my thoughts. The hessian mercenary sat down in front of me with an unreadable expression on his face.

It was at that moment I realized who he was; not just A hessian, but THE Hessian. The black devil, some called him. He had a sadistic love of carnage and would chop people's heads off at full gallop on his giant black steed. I gasped and scooted backwards, fear taking over my rational brain.

"You know me, don't you, little one. You recognize me." He said in a rough, raspy voice.

I nodded silently, not taking my eyes off him.

"Do not worry, kleine. I will not hurt you; Quite the opposite in fact." That took me by surprise.

"Why not?" I asked.

"You fascinate me, girl."

Yes, there it was. I was right. A strange warmth seeped into my body at his words… almost as if I… liked it. The Hessian's quick eyes noticed this and his mouth twisted into what passed as a smile. I shuddered at the sight of his sharp teeth.

"they frighten you?"

"They intimidate me. But I have no doubt that was your intention." The Hessian laughed.

"Ja, it was. Trust me, it took a lot of bravery to do this to myself."

"Painful?"

"Ja…"We sat in silence.

"So why did you shape your teeth?" I asked, curiosity overtaking my stubbornness.

"That is a long, terrible story you do not need to hear, mein schönes mädchen." He said softly, his unique eyes meeting mine.

"Where are you from?" "Wiesbaden in Hesse." He said.

"Do you have a family?"

"Nien. My parents died long ago and I never married."

"Why not?"

"You ask a lot of questions." He said, glowering.

"I am allowed to know about my captor, am I not?" The Hessian sat there, unmoving. It felt as though a dark cloud had settled over us. "Captor?" he whispered dangerously."You kidnapped me last night, did you not?""CAPTOR?" he thundered jumping up.

The tent strained against its posts as his great height stretched it up as far as it could go. He drew his sword and pointed it at me.

"I saved your virtue, girl. And quite possibly your life. DO NOT CALL ME YOUR CAPTOR!"

"Can I leave then?"

"you would not make it back to your home without assistance. Let me help you."

"No! I don't want your friends to know where I live.""Nien."

"What?""They are not my friends."

"Oh."

"I swear to you, girl. They will never know where you live. I will guard that secret with my life." For some reason, that statement made me laugh.

"Why do you find me amusing?"

"I find that you guarding the secret of my location with your life rather amusing. It isn't that important."

"It is to me." He said softly.

"Please sit down, you are making me nervous."He sat back down awkwardly, his big body taking up most of the room in his tent. "Shall I take you back now?"

"That would be nice. But first, what is your name?"

"Jaeger." He muttered, looking down."Are you ashamed of it? It's a lovely name. I like it." I said.

"I do not."

"Why?"

"Because it was my father's." hr said, his brow furrowing in anger.

"I take it you didn't like him."

"Nien. I do not."

"I take it you won't tell me why." I said, disappointed.

"Ja."I sighed and sat back. I noticed his eyes watching me. "what is your name, shatz?" he asked.

"Penelope."

"It's lovely."

"Thank you." I said.

"Would you like me to help you back to your home?"

"As long as you promise to tell me your story someday." I said, hoping he would. It was odd that, even though I did not trust him, I still wanted him near me, and even wanted to hear more about him. It was probably because he was such a feared man. To know the story behind this terrifying specimen would be a privilege indeed.

"You mean you… you'd like to see me again?" he said, his eyes lighting up. "Ja." I said, smiling. "I am too intrigued of your story and how you seem different than the stories say you are.""Really?"

"Yes. You are taking care of me even though you just met me last night."

"Actually I met you before. I saw you when my comrades shot down your deer. You were rather angry." "Yea I was. It would have been my first meal in over a week."

"Let me give you food then."

"But-" "You need it."He said, his face set. I sighed.

"Fine." "Gut. Now, let's go." He carried me out of the tent in his arms and lifted me up onto his horse.

"What is his name?" I asked."Daredevil." Jaeger said proudly.

"He's magnificent."

"danke"He climbed up behind me and wrapped a muscular arm around my waist. I felt a strange fluttering in my chest at his touch. He spurred Daredevil's sides and we were off.

All I was aware of as we rode through the forest was the warmth radiating from his huge body and his hand on my stomach, right below my breasts. I almost wanted to push his hand up so they cupped them and squeezed them in his huge hands.

I shook that thought out of my head quickly. There was no way I would start lusting after him.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the clearing with my house. He looked at me sadly. "This isn't much of a home.""I know. It's rather hard to take care of on my own, but I manage." I said, embarrassed.

"I could always help you." He offered."Really? That would be wonderful!" I exclaimed, looking at him happily.

"I would never let a woman as beautiful as you live in a place that is falling apart."

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"…Ja." He looked away. If he was any other man, I would have assumed he was blushing.

I grinned and allowed him to carry me into my house. He laid me on my bed and sat at the edge of it, looking at me with an unreadable expression.

"Thank you, Jaeger."

"I just want to make sure you are alright, shatz." "I think I will be."I said, smiling.

"I will be back tomorrow to check on you and help you."He said, standing up.

"Thank you."

"Guten tag." Jaeger said, turning away.

"Guten tag." I said, smiling at him.

I didn't see him look at me longingly as he walked out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

"What is it about this girl?" I wondered aloud to myself as I rode back to my camp.

Penelope had captivated me in every sense of the word from the first moment I saw her. W

hat was so special about her that could melt my frozen heart so easily? Yes, she was beautiful, yes she was smart and cunning. But there was something there; something deeper inside that tiny body that made me fall head over heels for her. I... I love her.

The word felt foreign so I said it out loud. "I love her." for some reason it made me feel warm all over to say that.

"I LOVE HER!" I yelled, startling the birds above me.

Why do I feel this way, though? I only just met her last night. Doesn't it normally take longer?

"Nien. She is so special, I only needed a day." Oh how ridiculous that sounded. I don't know what to do. Here I am, a lovesick fool for a mischievous stranger with a lovely face and gorgeous body who doesn't trust me as far as she could spit.

Maybe someday she will. I thought, spurring Daredevil's sides to go faster. And when she does, I'll tell her how I feel.

I grinned and dismounted. After I took off Daredevil's tack, I went into my tent and lay back, allowing my fantasies to take over my rational brain.

I thought of the girl; how soft and smooth she would feel as I caress her, how her body and lips would feel molded to mine, how it would feel to ram my manhood into her lovely-"

"Nien. I will not think of that now; If I do, I will run to her and take her whether she wants it or not."I rolled over and fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of the lovely Penelope and of the future I hope will come.

The next day I rode to her home in the morning, ready to do whatever task she required of me. She greeted me at the door in a green tunic and black trousers. Her short hair hung loose and wild. Her smile, I decided, was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I knew she still didn't trust me, but I tried to change that.

Every day, I would greet her with a kiss on the hand and a smile. She always smiled back, but I could see the mistrust in her eyes.

What did I have to do to prove to her she could trust me fully?

About a month after I first met her, I asked her turned and looked at me in surprise.

"What do you mean? I've let you into my home, haven't I?"

"But I see it in your eyes, shatz. You do not trust me. You are always watching me out of the corner of your eye. You expect me to do something."

"I must confess that you are right. You are a hessian mercenary; the enemy. Of course I don't trust you."

"Then what can I do to prove I am trustworthy?"

"Leave the army." She said.I could not believe it. Was she insane? Me? Leave the army? It is all I know how to do. It is what I do to earn my living!

"Are you insane? Why would I do that? It is my job!"She sighed.

"Because then I can trust you completely."

"And why should I give up the life I've known for you?"

"Because."Then my wildest fantasy came true:

She walked up to me and kissed my chapped lips.


End file.
